FG releases N342.8bn for 40,093 PHCN workers’ pay

 


About 40,093 workers of  the   Power Holding     Company of Nigeria (PHCN) have so far been cleared  and forwarded to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) for payment in the on-going  exercise for the payment of severance benefits amounting to a total of N342.8 billion.

Giving an update on the exercise at the weekend in Abuja while addressing Transitional Chairmen of the PHCN Successor Companies, the Director General of BPE, Mr. Benjamin Ezra Dikki, said the figures represented payment to 84 per cent of the entire workforce of the former state monopoly.

He said the schedules of payments which were transferred to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation by the Bureau of Public Enterprises in six batches, cuts across workers at the PHCN Headquarters, the Generation  Companies (GENCOs), Distribution Companies (DISCOs) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

Dikki who was represented by the Project Manager (PM) Electric Power Department of the Bureau, Mr. Amaechi Aloke, said that out of the six batches, the OAGF has confirmed the payment of three, in favour of 26,899 persons. The payment covers the severance benefits and RSA components.

The DG maintained that the OAGF had assured that by next week, another two batches (4 and 5), totaling 11,716 workers would be paid their entitlements.

On union dues, the DG said that the OAGF has confirmed the remittance of N3billion to the two PHCN unions-the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied      Companies, (SSAEAC) and National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), deducted from the PHCN workers benefits.

It will be recalled that the Federal Government had demonstrated great commitment in resolving labour issues in the power sector reform and privatization. Apart from committing the entire proceeds realized from the sale of power assets to the payment of the workers’ terminal benefits, government had at the initial stage of the transaction, released N57 billion to take care of the workers pension.

This was coming after it increased the workers’ salary by 50 percent   and regularized some of the casual workers.

Sun News